Twente and Waterloo Strategic Collaboration Grants (SCG)

In summary, what is this all about?

This is an open call to members of the Universities of Twente and Waterloo to submit – jointly – applications for Strategic Collaboration Grants (SCG). This seed funding would be of a modest amount (no more than the sum of C$16,000 and €11,000) for each Twente-Waterloo research project with a duration of no more than 24 months, with a required mid-project ‘Review of Progress’ submitted by 15 January 2025, and to be concluded by 14 January 2026 with an end-of-project report. Examples of supported activities are workshops / possible visits / undertaking any minor preparatory research or background work, attendance at virtual conferences, exploratory work for joint funding acquisition efforts.

What is the scope?

Projects funded under the SCG are meant to advance each university’s strategic priorities. Recognizing the strength of existing collaborative efforts, the seed fund serves to bolster specific areas of collaboration with the four research areas of bioengineering and biotechnology, health, nanotechnology, and water.

What will it be evaluated on?

The project will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Potential impact upon each university’s strategic priorities – namely, the University of Twente’s Shaping 2030 and the University of Waterloo’s Global Futures, Strategic Plan 2020-2025, and/or Waterloo at 100.
• Feasibility – what are the prospects for achieving the stated impact?
• Sustainability – what are the prospects for continued impact beyond the funding timeframe (including prospects for subsequent external funding)?

Each application can be submitted for only one of the four areas.  Any Twente or Waterloo faculty member can be part of only one application. 

Evaluation and selection will be conducted by representatives of both Twente and Waterloo in each research area, with the final determination based on the joint agreement of the reviewers.

What expenses are eligible, and what expenses are ineligible?

Funding can be used for personnel expenses for postdoctoral fellows and students (but not for faculty or for non-student consultants), supplies, economy travel, meeting costs, and for additional expenses that are necessary to move the collaboration forward. No indirect cost recoveries (overhead) can be charged. Equipment (including computers) will not be eligible. Third parties may be involved in the collaboration, but any costs associated with their involvement must be covered by the third party.

How will intellectual property (IP) be handled?

University of Twente’s policy on IP can be found in the PDF document titled Implementing Rules on Intellectual Property and on the UT website. 

University of Waterloo’s IP policy can be found in Policy 73. 

Thus, for the purposes of this funding call, IP will remain with the university that generated such intellectual property reflecting the respective IP policy of each university (see above links)–. Should new intellectual property be generated jointly by the universities from the programme, the members of the collaboration together with their respective university administration will agree to reach a mutually beneficial agreement with respect to intellectual property ownership, management, protection and further development and exploitation.

Where can I get the application form, and how do I submit it?

The application form for Waterloo applicants can be found at the bottom of this page. 

The application form for Twente applicants can be found on their opportunities page.

The two leads should together complete only one application. Once completed, this should be submitted to the two universities’ key partnership contacts.

This sounds interesting and I have an idea, but I do not have a collaborator at the other university?  How do I find one?

The two key partnership contacts of the seed funding call have committed to supporting and facilitating ‘match-making’ where needed. If you have an idea and would be interested in having a discussion with a counterpart at the respective other university, please provide a brief introductory email – envisaging that your email will be ‘shopped around’ at the counterpart university – to YOUR university key partnership contact (UT: Margriet Dekkers or UW: Eric Jardin) before Wednesday, 18 October 2023 and they will provide feedback and/or propose potential collaborators where they can be identified.

Who do I contact if I have more questions?

If you have more questions, contact your university’s representative (UT: Margriet Dekkers or UW: Eric Jardin).

Open Funding Call: Application Form

October 2023

Your project application form below will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

• Potential impact upon each university’s strategic priorities –“ namely, the University of Twente’s Shaping 2030 and the University of Waterloo’s Global Futures, Strategic Plan 2020-2025, and Waterloo at 100.
• Feasibility – €what are the prospects for achieving the stated impact?
• Sustainability – what are the prospects for continued impact beyond the funding timeframe (including prospects for subsequent external funding)?

Each application can be submitted to only one of the four research areas. Any Twente or Waterloo faculty member can be part of only one application.

• Applicants are asked to complete this application Form to set out the key elements of your Strategic Collaboration Grants (SCG) for support from the two universities.  (Additional information about the SCG’s can be found on the website Q&A.)

• Applications should be jointly developed by colleagues at both universities and submitted once jointly agreed upon.

• Please complete and return the Application Form by Wednesday, 8 November 2023 at 23:59 (Twente time) / 17:59 (Waterloo time) – along with a brief CV (no more than two pages) for each of the Twente and Waterloo leads – to Eric Jardin (ejardin@uwaterloo.ca) and Margriet Dekkers (m.a.h.dekkers@utwente.nl).

Application Form